Strategies for killing Mephistopheles

MindBlank · Post by **MindBlank** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:36 am

Hi!

I've reched the end of HotU, and i have to say the game is good for a..."NWN-expansion". Don't take me wrong, i liked the OC but SoU was boring. At least HotU feels somewhat like a return to the "old" RPGs. That's what i think, anyway i should get to the point.

Learning Meph's True Name is cool'n'all but i want to fight him, especially cause he's so damn powerfull.

So here's how the situation is :

I've got a level 28 Wizard and have Aribeth as a hechman.

The thing is i can't stand a chance against Meph. Before battle i drink every kind of buff potion i have and cast Premonition, Greater Stoneskin, Endurance, Shadow Shield, Greater Spell Mantle. The upper screen is filled at this point with buffs.
I figured i should hit him with Fingers of Death and Death Magic in general as he's not immune to it. So i "give him the Finger" 6 times and hope for a Critical Miss, but...no such luck. At least i deal around 80 dmg in total. Then i start casting Horrid Wilting on him. It doesn't do in excess of 30-35 dmg per cast. Chain Lighting is next and it works pretty well, dealing 20-30 dmg sometimes. Then Greater Ruin for some 60 dmg and that's it. I'm done, he's practically immune to everything else i "throw" at him. Fire based spells do almost nothing. Sometimes some minor damage from Meteor Swarm but very rare. Doesn't this guy have any weaknesess?
Aribeth can barely deal 3-10 dmg (maximum) sometimes. I have the Cold Immunity Ring and Greater Fire Abs. Ring and she doesn't suffer any additional Fire or Cold dmg from Meph. These rings are extremely usefull cause she dies twice as hard with them on. The problem is i don't have Enserric which works so well i've heard. I have Aramil's Sword on Aribeth and it's frankly...useless.
I've noticed he has about 6-7 attacks per round and his BAB is 64 (i think), so, yeah, my 51 AC isn't good for anything cause he hits me and her everytime.
I can't bring him below Badly Wounded, early Near Death. I just run out of spells and magic wands (i have to revive Aribeth every 30 seconds or so...).

So, does anyone have any strategies for killing him? I want to kill the bastard, it's more fun and besides that, i love a good challange.

Screaming Johny · Post by **Screaming Johny** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:39 am

Welcome to the forums. One quick not, please watch the language. Darn isn't a swear word, but changing the 'r' to an 'm' makes it one.

Now to your question. I have one word for you: ACID. Acid Sheath, Acid Arrows, Acid Bombs, whichever. As long as your not an evoker, which can't use all those great acid conjuration spells, this is what I suggest. If you are an evoker, maybe try getting acid added to your melee weapons or something.

And I agree with you about SoU. I have never finished it as I just find it so boring.

MindBlank · Post by **MindBlank** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:40 am

I guess you're talking about Mestil's Acid Sheath, right?

In that case, i don't have it. And i don't think i can get it in Cania... upgrading my weapons with Acid Damage would be worthless as i don't physicaly attack him, as i'm not a fighter.

If i'm wrong about my assumptions, then please enlighten me.

MindBlank · Post by **MindBlank** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:29 pm

Acid works really well.

I also took Valen along and gave him and Aribeth daggers and clubs with +10 enhancement and acid damage (as i couldn't upgrade their own weapons, not beeing a fighter). I threw Acid Bombs at him and he fell so quick. Acid really gets the best of him and +10 weapons hit everytime and deal small amounts of damage. Having 5 attacks per round for both Valen and Aribeth, they dealt around 80 acid dmg per round to Meph + my 40-50 per bomb and 5-10 per round from the acid cloud, he fell so quickly...

Thanks for the tips. But, are there any other strategies except acid for him?

sun_facer · Post by **sun_facer** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:02 am

Hi fellas,

I can see this thread has been around for some time. But well, for the sake of sharing.

My cleric / monk has the same problem. I even have the sleeping man with me. But that fella is just fooling ard.

My lvl 39 sorci used the same tactic - epic warding and acid shealth.. and acid fog. Stood ard with a deliberate AC of only 17. Waited for him to hit me and he fell realy quick.

My arcane archer used the grappling hand to great extents. Had to run lots. Use the platforms to escape as shown when u 1st enter the scene. I was surprised that the elementals could also follow me there.

But the most effective build was still the good'ol WM. Go save a small fortune, find Rizolvir to prepare for the battle and just heck away. I have never scored a critical against Mephi but a dual weilding WM can take Mephi down faster than he can take u down.
My WM has an AC of only 44. But WMs are not about escaping or dodging. Just take the fella down earlier than he take u. With a good weapon, dual wield and haste, you will do 14 - 20 damage 3 - 4 times each turn. It was over even before I knew it. Sometimes, I dun even have the chance to talk to him when he is near death. He just dies... giving me a lousy ending.

sun_facer · Post by **sun_facer** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:32 am

Ops, I forgot to mention... IMO, the best weapon is Enserric. The vampiric regen +5 is great! I thought that the bloodletter was good. But when I saw how fast Enserric allowed my WM to regain lost hit points, I had to restart a new WM!

Never had to pop a healing potion since then. When the ring of elemental immunity, greater amulet of health, a good belt and the cowl of warding, a WM is almost indestructible in HotU... of course... lets not talk about semi-ubers and ubers.

Jaypee · Post by **Jaypee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:28 pm

To me Mephi was really easy opponent last time around. I had 10/16/2 RDD/Champion of Torm/bard as character. Didn't have to use a single potion of Heal even with the highest difficulty level. Enserric just sucked me more hitpoints from mephi and those elementals, I also had regeneration +8 through items though. My character had strengh of 30 at the end and enserric was +8, so each my hits did a massive damage also....

Now I'm nearing the end with 17/10 ranger/rogue, I'll report then how it ended. Must be much harder, I predict.

Jaypee · Post by **Jaypee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:08 pm

Just passed the game with 17/10 Rogue/Ranger. Mephi was tough, but not even near of impossible. Valen betrayed me at the end, couple of rounds to beat him down first. Mephi was keen of hitting Deekin, had to use potions of heal to keep deekin alive. I had Time Stop and Mestil's Acid Sheat scrolls, these helped alot.